The invention relates generally to machining, and more particularly to a system and method for adaptive machining of components such as airfoils.
In many applications, such as aircraft, various parts are built with a particular shape or contour, for example, for aerodynamics. Through normal service, there arises a need to repair components such as airfoils in aircraft applications, for example. With respect to airfoils, damage to a leading edge of the airfoil is one of the most common problems. The leading edge is subject to foreign object damage or erosion after a period of service time. A significant savings can be realized if the damaged blades can be repaired and returned to service.
Conventionally, the repair has been accomplished by machining away the damaged portion of the airfoils. Welding material was then manually deposited over the areas that had been machined away. The component was then machined by referencing a nominal model geometry in an attempt to reproduce the originally designed dimensions. Then, the component was hand finished, manually machined, in order to put the component in a serviceable condition.
However, there are shortcomings associated with the historical repair method. The method requires leaving a significant amount of material remaining (i.e., stock on) after the machining, which must be removed by a hand finishing process. This is due to the fact that no component, or blade within a component, is exactly at a nominal condition. The manual nature of the hand finishing process increases the cost and processing time of the repair. Finally, the method results in significant scrap.